Plumtree farmer petitions police over stocktheft

A STOCKTHEFT victim from Matabeleland South province has petitioned Plumtree police over their failure to investigate cattle rustlers causing havoc in the area.

Partson Maseko of plot number 4 Naude’s Rest in Mangwe district, said he reported a stocktheft case at Figtree Police Station on August 4, 2020 after cattle rustlers stole eight of his beasts.

Maseko alleged that two of his neighbours came to his farm and collected cattle on different occasions claiming that he had an agreement with them.

“One of the suspects, Johannes Tshuma of plot 7, came in February 2019 and chose for himself five heifers from my kraal claiming that he had an agreement with me to collect the heifers,” Maseko said.

“In March 2020, another neighbour Sibangiswani Ncube came again to Thandazani Masuku (now late), my herdboy with the same statement and collected three cows claiming he had an agreement with me.”

Maseko said on August 6, 2020, Masuku was apprehended and handed over to Mangwe police.

He said one of Ncube’s workers, Zenzeleni Tshuma, told the police that he had witnessed the arrival of three heifers that were sold to one Mlungisi by Masuku.

On hearing this, police allegedly uncuffed Masuku.

“On August 7, 2020, police called me and told me that Masuku had died at 5am. Masuku died on arrival at the hospital because he had swallowed cattle dip chemicals.”

Maseko said a few days after Masuku’s death, he was called by the police who were with Ncube, who had allegedly stolen the second cow, but two months later, none of the implicated persons, including Ncube, have been arrested. In his petition, Maseko questioned why the police were taking long to investigate the cases, let alone take them to the courts.

Contacted for comment, Matabeleland South provincial spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele said they would check if they had such a case.

“I cannot comment, we will have to check first if we have such a case,” said Ndebele.